Enel Green Power has brought renewable energy to the semidesert in the Mexican state of Zacatecas, thanks to the wind farm Vientos el Altipiano. We’ve also provided telephone network access to the local community with the “Connecting Mazapil” project
The conquest of Zacatecas was a key event in the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920). On 23 June 1914, Francisco Villa defeated the Federal Army, under the command of Victoriano Huerta, the country’s president at the time. This “Villista” victory, in one of the bloodiest battles of the armed conflict, opened the gates of Mexico City to the División del Norte.
Legend has it that Villa and his men planned this battle from the farm of Majorna, in the Zacatecas semidesert, in the town of Mazapil, where Enel Green Power’s wind farm Vientos el Altipiano is located today.
A 70-km journey for a phone call
More than one hundred years have passed since these events, but the possibilities of communication in the area remain practically unchanged since then.
When we began the construction of our Vientos del Altipiano plant in 2015, the area did not have telephone coverage.
“For any communication with the outside, the inhabitants of Mazapil had to travel about 70 kilometres to arrive at the closest places with connections: San Tiburcio and Villa de Cos.”
Our arrival in Mazapil meant an investment of 250 million dollars for the construction of the wind farm, but it didn’t stop there. At the same time, we launched projects based on our attention to sustainability, giving priority to the needs of the various stakeholders in the area and possible synergies between companies and local communities.
Renewables that connect with the world
Early on, it was clear that telephone connectivity was a fundamental necessity. This is why we started partnerships with various local entities to complete the Connecting Mazapil project.
The community donated space to place an antenna. Enel Green Power made the initial investment needed for the installation and a cellular signal amplifier was installed to allow for calls and text messaging.
“The TLC infrastructure constructed in Mazapil is the property of the community itself and currently provides telephone coverage to 400 inhabitants of the area, grouped into 70 households.”
All the telecommunications equipment is powered by a photovoltaic energy system, which minimises its economic and environmental impact.
Thanks to the Connecting Mazapil project, the locals can save about 100 pesos per call, that is, the cost of the almost hour-and-a-half trip they had to make every time they needed to make a call.
Communication has come to Mazapil with the energy of the wind. Its inhabitants can now keep in contact with their loved ones, as well as increase the trade of their local cheese and request access to basic services like medical assistance from state authorities more quickly.
Source: enelgreenpower
